Drive train for a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9018789-B2
Application number	US-201313744692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2013
Priority date	Jan 20, 2012
Publication date	Apr 28, 2015
Grant date	Apr 28, 2015

Abstract

A wind turbine drive train ( 1 ) comprising a gearbox ( 2 ), a generator ( 3 ) and a coupling ( 4 ) located between an output shaft ( 5 ) and a rotor shaft ( 6 ). The gearbox and the generator are separate components which have their own housings ( 7, 8 ). The output and rotor shafts are respectively supported by a shaft bearing arrangement ( 15 ) and a generator rotor shaft bearing arrangement ( 18 a, 18 b ). The generator housing is directly connected to the gearbox housing. The drive train further comprises a gearbox output module ( 14 ), which comprises the output shaft, the shaft bearing arrangement and an output shaft bearing housing ( 16 ). The gearbox output module at least partly extends into the generator and the gearbox output module at least partly extends beyond a plane (P) defined by the generator. The coupling extends through the rotor shaft and is coupled, on a generator side (G), to the generator rotor shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive train ( 1 ) for a wind turbine, the drive train ( 1 ) comprising:
a gearbox ( 2 ),
a generator ( 3 ), and
a coupling ( 4 ) located between an output shaft ( 5 ) of the gearbox ( 2 ) and a rotor shaft ( 6 ) of the generator ( 3 ),
wherein the gearbox ( 2 ) and the generator ( 3 ) are independent and separate components, and the gearbox ( 2 ) and the generator ( 3 ) each have their own housing ( 7 , 8 ),
the coupling ( 4 ) being a separate component which is at least partially removable so as to disconnect the output shaft ( 5 ) from the rotor shaft ( 6 ),
the output shaft ( 5 ) of the gearbox ( 2 ) is supported by a gearbox output shaft bearing arrangement ( 15 ) and the rotor shaft ( 6 ) of the generator ( 3 ) is supported by a generator rotor shaft bearing arrangement ( 18 a , 18 b ),
the housing ( 8 ) of the generator ( 3 ) is directly connected to the housing ( 7 ) of the gearbox ( 2 ),
a gearbox output module ( 14 ) comprises an end portion of the output shaft ( 5 ), the gearbox output shaft bearing arrangement ( 15 ) and an end portion of an output shaft bearing housing ( 16 ),
the gearbox output module ( 14 ) at least partly extends into the generator ( 3 ) and at least partly extends beyond a plane (P) defined by an axial surface of a rotating part of the generator ( 3 ) that is first encountered in a direction going from gearbox ( 2 ) to generator ( 3 ), and
the coupling ( 4 ) extends through a center of the rotor shaft ( 6 ) of the generator ( 3 ) and is coupled to the rotor shaft ( 6 ), from a generator side (G) of the drive train ( 1 ) toward the gearbox ( 2 ).

2. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the generator ( 3 ) comprises a rotor ( 9 ) and a stator ( 23 ), the rotor ( 9 ) comprises the rotor shaft ( 6 ) and a structure ( 10 ) carrying active elements ( 11 ) of the generator ( 3 ), and the plane (P) is defined by a front surface of the structure ( 10 ) carrying the active elements ( 11 ) of the generator ( 3 ).

3. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein
the gearbox output module ( 14 ) at least partly extends into a cavity ( 17 ) in the generator housing ( 8 ), the cavity ( 17 ) has an axial dimension (LAX), a first diameter (D1) and a second diameter (D2), the first diameter (D1) is equal to or smaller than the second diameter (D2), the first diameter (D1) is larger than an end of the output module ( 14 ) closest to the generator ( 3 ), and the second diameter (D2) is larger than the largest diameter (DOM) of the part of the gearbox output module ( 14 ) extending into the generator ( 3 ), and
the rotor shaft ( 6 ) of the generator ( 3 ) is located at a distance equal to the axial dimension (LAX) from a location where the generator housing ( 8 ) is connected to the gearbox housing ( 7 ).

4. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the rotor shaft ( 6 ) has an inner diameter (DR), the coupling ( 4 ) is connected to the output shaft ( 5 ) via a first flange ( 20 ) which has an outer diameter (DF) which is smaller than the inner diameter (DR) of the rotor shaft ( 6 ).

5. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the coupling ( 4 ) is connected to the rotor shaft ( 6 ) via a second flange ( 21 ) which is integrally formed with the coupling ( 4 ) and is connected to the rotor shaft ( 6 ) via at least one bolted connection ( 13 ).

6. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the output shaft ( 5 ) is completely disconnected from the rotor shaft ( 6 ) when the coupling ( 4 ) is removed from the drive train.

7. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein at least one bolt connects the coupling ( 4 ) to the output shaft ( 5 ) and at least one bolt connects the coupling ( 4 ) to the rotor shaft ( 6 ).

8. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the axial surface of the rotating part of the generator ( 3 ) comprises a front surface of the rotor shaft ( 6 ) so that the plane (P) is defined by the front surface of the rotor shaft ( 6 ) of the generator ( 3 ).

9. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the gearbox output module ( 14 ) at least partly extends into the rotor shaft ( 6 ) of the generator ( 3 ).

10. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the rotor shaft ( 6 ) has an inner diameter (DR), and the inner diameter (DR) of the rotor shaft ( 6 ) is larger than the largest diameter (DOM) of the part of the gearbox output module ( 14 ) extending into the generator ( 3 ).

11. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the rotor shaft ( 6 ) has a first part ( 25 ) with a first inner diameter (DR1) at an end of the generator ( 3 ) closest to the gearbox ( 2 ), and a second part ( 26 ) with a second inner diameter (DR2) at an end of the generator ( 3 ) furthest away from the gearbox ( 2 ), the first inner diameter (DR1) is larger than the second inner diameter (DR2) and is larger than the largest diameter (DOM) of the part of the gearbox output module ( 14 ) that extends into the generator ( 3 ).

12. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 11 , wherein a first rotor shaft bearing ( 18 a ) is located at the first part ( 25 ) of the rotor shaft ( 6 ) and a second rotor shaft bearing ( 18 b ) is located at the second part ( 26 ) of the rotor shaft ( 6 ).

13. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein a first rotor shaft bearing ( 18 a ) is located at a side of the rotor shaft ( 6 ) closest to the gearbox ( 2 ) and a second rotor shaft bearing ( 18 b ) is located at a side of the rotor shaft ( 6 ) furthest away from the gearbox ( 2 ).

14. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling ( 4 ) is hollow and is connected to the output shaft ( 5 ) by bolts ( 19 ) which are accessible from the inside of the coupling ( 4 ).

15. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling ( 4 ) is formed of an electrically insulating material for isolating the output shaft ( 5 ) from a remainder of the drive train.

16. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the drive train ( 1 ) further comprises a brake assembly ( 27 ) which comprises a brake disc ( 28 ) and calipers ( 29 ), the brake disc ( 28 ) is fixed to an end of the coupling ( 4 ) furthest away from the generator ( 3 ) and the calipers ( 29 ) are fixed to a static part of the generator housing ( 8 ).

17. The drive train ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the gearbox ( 2 ) is of a coaxial design.

Assignees

• Zf Wind Power Antwerpen Nv

Inventors

• Smook Warren
• Diekhans Gerhard

Classifications

• F03D7/0248 Primary

  by mechanical means acting on the power train · CPC title

• F03D80/80

  Arrangement of components within nacelles or towers · CPC title

• F03D80/88

  of mechanical components · CPC title

• F03D80/70 Primary

  Bearing or lubricating arrangements · CPC title

• F03D15/10

  using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members · CPC title